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'life bus' returns after jan. 22 march on washington

Story and photos by LIZ QUIRIN
Messenger editor

A bus carrying a group of people from the Diocese of Belleville stopped Jan. 23 in Highland, Ill., to allow students from Mater Dei to reconnect with their families after they attended the March for Life in Washington, D.C., marking the 36th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion in the United States.

Other riders continued on to the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows where the entire group had gathered to leave Jan. 21 for the ride to the capital.

One of the riders, Yvonne Shepherd of St. John the Baptist Parish in Red Bud, was a first-time participant in the march.

“I had wanted to go for years but hadn’t been able to,” Shepherd said. The march “was awe inspiring. I came away with a great sense of hope.”

Another participant, Terry Martin, said taking part in the march was “a way to take action and show politicians we don’t support abortion.”

Queen of Peace parishioner Louis Slapshak had been to the march years ago.
“I really wanted to go this time to encourage our parish to get more involved,” he said.
Slapshak said the march sends a message to teenagers about the importance of life.
“It was an eye-opening experience,” Slapshak said. “I got to see the face of God in all of the people.”

Cheryl Sommer, an advocate for social justice and director of faith formation at St. Clare of Assisi in O’Fallon attended the march for the first time.

“It was encouraging to see the different ways we can approach (being) pro-life,” Sommer said.
Sommer also attended meetings about legislation to help pregnant women.